Ricciuti Column: Hudson's football team earns key win; field hockey team on roll

Thursday

Oct 11, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 11, 2012 at 11:05 AM

Hudson's football team rebounded with a key victory over Algonquin. The Hawks' field hockey team has gone 4-0-1 in its last five games.

Phil Ricciuti/Sports Correspondent

Hudson’s football team knew it needed a win against Algonquin last Friday night if the Hawks were going to get back in the race for a postseason berth, and that is exactly what occurred. Hudson exploded for three second-quarter touchdowns en route to a one-sided 34-20 win over the Tomahawks.

Algonquin scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Hawks’ junior varsity to make the game look closer than it really was.

Hudson senior quarterback Dan Mendes (9-for-15, 200 yards passing, 11 carries, 106 yards) led the assault with a pair of touchdown passes and he scored another TD on the ground. Senior running back Darnell Butler began the scoring with 25-yard touchdown run in the opening period and added another on a screen pass in the second quarter.

Mendes and all of the Hawks benefitted from an outstanding job by Hudson’s offensive line that continually opened huge holes in the Tomahawks’ defense and gave Mendes all the time he needed to throw.

“We worked hard in practice. One thing that bothered us against Nipmuc (last week) is that they gave us so many different looks that they outsmarted us. This week we pulled it together and worked really hard in practice and got the job done,” senior lineman Derek Ponte said.

“We were able to push. We ran straight at them at certain times and it worked out really well for us,” Hawks coach Dan McAnespie said.

The Hawks were faced with a fourth down on the Tomahawk 11 with 7:50 left in the second period when Mendes tossed a screen pass to Butler on the left side. Butler broke a tackle at the 10 and scooted untouched into the end zone. Mendes’ second straight extra point increased Hudson’s lead to 14-0. Algonquin coach Justin McKay elected to go for it on fourth-and-two at the Hudson 49 on Algonquin’s next series, but the Hawks’ defense stopped running back Danny Bishop for no gain. Three plays later, Mendes broke through a huge hole in the middle for a 21-yard touchdown run.

Algonquin went three and out on its next possession. This time it took Hudson only three plays to reach paydirt when Mendes found Alex Peckham open for a 59-yard touchdown strike. Mendes added his fourth extra point for a 28-0 Hudson lead.

Hudson’s final touchdown was set up by a Ryan Seymour interception that gave the Hawks a first down on the Tomahawk 38. Dan Bothwell tallied the TD on a six-yard scamper.

Ponte realized the importance of the win. “It was huge to us. We want to be a three-time Super Bowl finalist,” he said. “This was a big league game and we needed a win.”

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Field Hockey

When the field hockey season opened Hudson coach Jen Wallingford knew it would take some time for her team to put things together. Wallingford had lost more than half her team to graduation. In addition, the Hawks moved up from Mid-Wach C to the newly-created Midland B League this season. Some of Hudson’s most difficult opponents were at the top of its schedule.

Three of Hudson’s first four games were against Midland A opponents and the fourth was against Nashoba. The Chieftains came into this week with an 8-2 record. The early results weren’t surprising as the Hawks lost all four games. Things have turned around quickly, though, as the Hawks began to get a feel for each other. Hudson’s first win came against Tyngsboro on Sept. 24, 1-0. The Hawks then embarked on a roll. In the next five games Hudson has gone 4-0-1 and has not allowed a goal in those games.

Wallingford attributed her team’s surge to several factors.

“Obviously, our two goalies have been playing very well. Our defense has been solid as well, but one of the key differences is that we have learned to play as hard as we can for an entire game,” she stated. “We learned how important it is to play the entire game last year in the playoffs against Shrewsbury.” The Hawks lost that game 2-0 with the Colonials’ first goal coming right before the first half ended and the second was scored with 50 seconds left.

“Our games have all been close. We’re not winning by three goals and we’re not losing by three goals,” Wallingford said. “It’s always one, or two at the most. Part of the problem was we played some of the hardest teams on or schedule right away, but I also think that we learned to play with each other. The first few games we were still figuring out how to pass to each other and how to work together, and then we ironed all that out.” Hudson’s scoreless streak has primarily been the result of outstanding play in the nets by goalies Michelle Chiasson and Kelly Young. Chiasson has received the bulk of the playing time, but Young, who is just a sophomore, stepped in against North Middlesex and turned aside four shots to keep the shutout streak alive. Young got a lot of help from her defense against North Middlesex which continually blocked Patriot shots long before they reached the net.

Sophomore attack Gaelyn Donaghue scored the lone goal against North Middlesex with 14:14 left with an assist from junior Hannah Kennedy. She picked the ball out of a scrum in front of the net and fed Donaghue, who calmly shot the ball into the back of the net.

“Hannah crossed it in front of the net and I was just able to put it in. I had to get it around the goalie a little bit, but it went in, Donaghue said.

Donaghue credited Hudson’s sudden surge to a couple of factors. “I think we have been able to play more as a team,” she said. “At first we were kind of messy, not passing to each other, but now we have been working better together and that has made a difference.”

Wallingford doesn’t want to look too far ahead. “We are hoping that we can maintain what we have done over the last five games.”

The Hawks traveled to Marlborough yesterday and will visit Nashoba tomorrow.

Phil Ricciuti is Hudson Sun sports correspondent. He can be reached at phil.ricciuti@gmail.com.